Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumar seems to be ready to respond to the Supreme Court’s quarry in the controversial Kancha Gachibowli lands row. A team of about 10 officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of the Forest Department, led by Chief Secretary Shanthi Kumari, held two-day consultations in Delhi with senior lawyers on this issue.
The Chief Secretary had a special meeting with senior Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi and some other lawyers. It is known that the Supreme Court has asked the CS to personally visit the Kancha Gachibowli lands and submit a comprehensive report by the 16th.
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court is hearing the Kancha Gachibowli land case suo moto and in a stern response said “the Chief Secretary will be personally responsible if their orders are not followed in this matter. He/She will have to go to a temporary jail near the pond on those lands. If she/he wants that, no one can help him”.
Now, the Chief Secretary is discussing with the legal team what should be included in her report? What actually happened on the ground? How will the Supreme Court respond after the report? It is reliably learnt that discussions were held on other issues from Sunday morning to evening.
The Supreme Court had ordered answers to the five questions raised by the amicus curiae during the last hearing. It is learnt that the team of officials also discussed them at length. “What is the need to remove trees and undertake development activities in such a hurry in Kancha Gachibowli, which is considered forest land?
Did the state government take an environmental assessment report for this? Did the necessary permissions from the forest officials for the felling of trees? Did local laws apply? Is it necessary to appoint officials who are not experts in forest and environmental affairs in the committee formed by the state government for the forest land on March 15? What is their experience with forests? What is being done with the wood obtained from the felled trees there?”.
It is learnt that the issues discussed include what answers should be given to the questions? How will the Supreme Court respond? What are the next questions that the amicus curiae will raise?
Meanwhile, a non-governmental organization called ‘Be the Change Welfare Society’ has filed a writ petition on the 9th of this month seeking to hear its arguments. The Center, the Telangana government, the Principal Chief Conservator of the Forest Department, the Additional Secretary, the HCU Registrar, the TGIIC Director and some others have been included as respondents. This petition will also come up for hearing before a bench headed by Justice BR Gavai on the 16th of this month.